Opera soprano singer in London

The extraordinary Concert for Nepal was a resounding success yesterday, with the warm sunshine ensuring we had loads of generous listeners in Old Spittalfields Market, Shoreditch. I was fortunate enough to be sandwiched between the international superstars Kathryn Harries and Graeme Danby, and accompanied by the talented Nigel Foster. Here are some photos from the day, with more in my photograph gallery, and please do donate to Unicef for this noble cause.

The exact line-up and schedule has been announced for next Sunday’s exciting Concert for Nepal, in London’s Old Spittalfields Market. The concert will last all afternoon, from 12:30 until around 6:30, with well known singers performing arias, songs, and excerpts from best-loved operas. Situated in the gateway to the market, underneath the canvas canopy in Bishops Square, audience members will be free to come and go as they please. The event is entirely free but generous donations will be encouraged.

I will be singing twice: Around 3 pm with orchestra I will be singing Mozart’s short but unbelievably beautiful duet “Bei Maennern” from Die Zauberfloete, and then around 5:20 with piano I will be singing one of my favourite pieces of music, Dvorak’s “Song to the Moon” from Rusalka. Please click here for more details from Head First Productions.

I’ve been invited to participate in the Concert for Nepal at Old Spittalfields Market. On the 6th September, many of the world’s finest opera singers and players will meet at London’s Historical Spitalfields Market for an entire afternoon of classical music, dance and spoken word to raise money in aid of Unicef’s Earthquake Appeal in Nepal. I’ll post again soon with the times that I’ll be appearing, but in the meantime please visit their Facebook page for more information.

I’ve just been invited to return as soloist for the City of Oxford Symphony Orchestra in their ever-popular annual Viennese New Year concert. This will be my sixth appearance with this long-standing orchestra under the baton of Stephen Bell, in the stunning Christopher Wren-designed Sheldonian Theatre.

I was interviewed for an article in the Sudbury Spy after our recent performance of Opera Blocks at the Bury St Edmunds Children’s Festival. Please read the lovely article by editor Jen O’Reilly-Turner here.

English Pocket Opera Company brought their omni-popular show Opera Blocks to the Bury St Edmunds 1st Annual Children’s Festival. We gave two performances at the beautiful Apex Theatre; doesn’t our set look pretty?

I’ve finally had a chance to sit down and sort through the beautiful production photos of the Merry Widow. Photographer Andrew Waltham has taken so many great ones I’ve had a hard time choosing my favourites. Please visit my gallery to see them!

I’ve just been cast as the baddie Scylla in the world premiere of Ulla’s Odyssey, Opera Up Close’s debut production at London’s Kings Place.

The show is inspired by Homer’s Odyssey, includes live music and puppetry and is suitable for children aged 7+, families and any adult with a sense of fun and wonder.

This new opera is an enchanting nautical fantasy by New Zealand composer Anthony Young and Canadian librettist Leanne Brodie and was the winner of both the Flourish New Composition Award (2014) and Opera Factory’s Composition competition (2012). The production is directed by OperaUpClose’s Associate Director, Valentina Ceschi (TheElixir of Love and Dido and Aeneas for OUC) and designed by Faye Bradley (Linbury Prize Finalist 2013). Click here for tickets.

I had a thrilling time at the Royal Albert Hall this week, playing Juliet in English Pocket Opera Company’s idiosyncratic production of Romeo and Juliet. Featuring an orchestra of 600 and a choir of 900, the performance was broadcast live on the internet, and can be viewed for the next month. This lovely photograph was taken by Joshua Hayes, www.joshphotographer.com: I’m singing Gounod’s “Je veux vivre” from the Albert Hall’s organ loft representing Juliet’s balcony.

Today we’ve finished staging rehearsals for Romeo and Juliet for Thursday’s performance at the Royal Albert Hall. The show looks amazing, and will be streamed live as it happens. Click here for the link to the live feed of the show, which will be available to buy shortly thereafter.

Rehearsals are underway for English Pocket Opera Company’s version of Romeo and Juliet at the Royal Albert Hall. We’ve had our two sitzprobes, here’s a photo from our first one, with the enormous student orchestra.

Rehearsals have begun for Kentish Opera’s Merry Widow! I am enjoying revisiting the role of Hannah Glawari, with the wonderful Tom Stoddart as Danilo. Performances are 13-16 May, tickets are on sale now.

They’re in! I have just received a shipment of beautiful photographs taken by the legendary photographer Nobby Clark. These were taken in 2010 of the Theatre Royal Bath’s UK tour of Terrence McNally’s Tony Award-winning play Master Class, directed by Chichester Theatre’s Jonathan Church, in which I played Sharon Graham opposite the Maria Callas of Stephanie Beacham.

I had a great time singing the Viennese New Year concert with the City of Oxford Orchestra on Saturday. Under the brilliant conducting of Stephen Bell, and in the beautiful acoustics of the venerable Sheldonian Theatre, the orchestra sounded marvellous. What a privilege to be part of such an esteemed group, especially in this their 50th anniversary year. Here I am about to go on for Johann Strauss’s “Csardas” from Die Fledermaus.

I’m looking forward to returning to the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford, this Saturday, to appear for a fourth time with the City of Oxford Orchestra, under Stephen Bell. This is their 50th anniversary year, and I’ll be singing arias from La fille du Regiment, Die Dubarry, and Die Fledermaus. Please visit here for tickets.